Queensland’s Satellite Hospitals will be renamed Satellite Health Centres.
State Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the renaming followed a Queensland Audit Office Health Report found more than 3500 patients, with life-threatening conditions, put themselves at risk by presenting to satellite hospitals last year where they could not be treated.
Minister Nicholls said a Renaming Satellite Hospitals survey received submissions from 2780 people, including frontline clinicians and primary care providers, who had their say on a more appropriate name for the facilities.
He said the results strongly recommended calling the facilities Satellite Health Centres, which was recently supported by a clinical advisory group made up of representatives from the seven facilities at Caboolture, Redlands, Ripley, Tugun, Kallangur, Eight Miles Plains and Bribie Island.
“These facilities were designed to provide their communities with same day walk-in, walk-out services for minor injuries and outpatient care like dialysis.
“I want to assure the community these centres will continue to deliver excellent minor injury and illness care and outpatient services.”
Minister Nicholls said the facilities would also be bolstered with CT and MRI machines, to expand the available services.
